The Spirit of the West

When I was a young, I was fascinated by Life & Look Magazines. Each week, I was taken on a journey and adventure through the eyes of a photojournalist. Whether it was an Egyptian War or Iguanas on the Galapagos Island, it was a life that I hoped someday I could pursue.

In my late teens, my dad was a US Forest Ranger in Yosemite National Park. I was able to spend consecutive summers in Yosemite and then Yellowstone National Park. The natural wonders I saw in the parks and the wilderness put a spark of enthusiasm in me that I have to this day.

When I attended the Ansel Adams Workshop in Yosemite National Park in 1981, it gave me a reverence for photography and the outdoors that has grown stronger every year.

Spending time with Mr. Adams amid the setting of the Sierra Nevada helped light a spark of passion into Kelsey’s photography that he has to this day.
The images here are condensed from 35+ years of photography in the backcountry of 10 different Western states.

From leaping Humpback whales in the Icey Straits of Alaska to sunrise at the Maroon Belles in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Kelsey has photographed some of the most magnificent scenery in North America.